Eighteen countries meet in Accra to discuss deforestation
Eighteen countries have met in Accra to discuss how to mitigate deforestation and improve on afforestation as part of the Africa Regional Consultative workshop on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation, Forest Degradation and Conservation (REDD+).
The workshop was funded by the World Bank and organised by the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA), a continental coalition of Civil Society organizations in Africa promoting climate friendly and equity-based development.
Also supporting in organizing the workshop was the Mainyoto Pastoralist Integrated Development Organisation (MPIDO), which seeks to improve food security index in the East Africa Region.
The workshop aimed at collecting information and the way forward on the REDD+ from 78 participants from 18 Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) countries including Ghana, Morocco, Tanzania, Cameroon, Sudan, and Uganda.
The FCPF is to assist countries in their REDD+ efforts by providing them with financial and technical assistance to build capacity to enhance forest conservation and mitigate future deforestation and degradation.
It also echoed the attempt of adaptational practices from 2010 United Nations Report relating to agro-ecology for climate action.
Mr Thomas Yaw Gyambrah, the Assistant Manager for Ghana Cocoa Forest, REDD+ Programme at the Forestry Commission, said Ghana was doing well in her REDD+ efforts through community and multi-stakeholder consultation.
He noted that infrastructure and other communicative strategies were available to mitigate the challenges and receive feedback on REDD+ related issues.
Mr Xanvier Mugumya, the Coordinator for Climate Change at the Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda, pledged Uganda’s readiness towards supporting Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to mitigate deforestation.
He said the CSOs supported the Readiness Preparation Proposal, a framework document, which sets out a clear plan, budget and schedule for a country to achieve REDD+ readiness.
Source: GNA